i don't even know where to begin with this gpak review, there are so many ways it could go. and not in a good way. benadryl. personal space. digital. check it (obilg shades flip).
let's just start with the food, then see if it goes anywhere else. hopefully not.
the whole crew, minus jet-lagged gmac, felt a drive was in order to sugar house to a new burger flavor of the month: the denver-based, gourmet/hip, beef-n-bun newcomer smashburger.
the place is great for lunch, if a bit small. it's narrow and has decent seating, with max. occupancy of 85 (or so the sign near the door states) and is bright with a cheerful greet from the order-taker. i think we also chose it because of the man-up possibilities. but i could be wrong.
menu is not complicated: burgers. sides. drinks. there are variations on the 100% angus grillers, including classic (american cheese); spicy baja (pepper jack, guac, jalapenos); mushroom swiss (duh); or, hold on to your hat, create your own.
sides are just as easy: fries, side salad, haystack onions (thin, crispy, delish) and veggie frites. dunno, didn't ask.
speaking of, there are some options involving chicken. mkay. and for the gpak challenged, something called a "smashwedge" (i know), that the menu described as a "large wedge of crisp iceberg lettuce, topped with bacon, chopped tomatoes, red onions and blue (sic) cheese crumbles, with blue (sic) cheese dressing." (I KNOW). hrmm...why try something veggie and add BACON to it. sigh.
my take--i went with the spicy baja because it was, well, spicy. and i went with the 1/2 lb. option, of course. i also went with the onion ring option, to be different. the burger was really, really good. in fact they were all so good we kind of forgot to take any photos of said goodness.
it was definitely full of flavor, and can only imagine the spices and pre-grill treatment of these bad boys. the only drawback, however, is the bun for the big 1/2 pounders are too small for the actual burger needs. small criticism, though.
the haystack onions were also good, if a bit too greasy and a little thin for my tastes. but again, minor details to an otherwise really good experience.
Food Quality: 8
Fizz-o-meter of Coke: n/a (i went with iced tea)
Man-up possibilities: 9
Service: 7
Overall: 8
random quotes. taken in and out of context. we say; you decide.
No matter where we put it, I'll take the over.
I guess I'll assume my position.
I need to focus here.
I'm crapping my pants, if I'm the Tribune.
We are a table of men.
I'm feeling a lot of man love there.
Lemme see my belly.
Well done, Big Red! An excellent review.
ReplyDeleteI went with the half-pound (of course!) Beehive Burger, which included cheddar cheese, bacon, onion straws and honey barbecue sauce. And yes, I'm still drooling. My only quibble (and one with which Brady would never agree) is that I think it could have used a little more sauce. I could only taste the barbecue in a couple of bites, which is weird, because when I went with my wife and she ordered the same thing, it was very barbecue-ey. Hmmm.
The Smashfries were excellent, too. A little greasier than they were during my initial visit a few weeks ago, but still tasty.
All in all, I'm a Smashburger fan. It's definitely in my top 3 of burger joints, and I WILL be back.
Food quality: 9
Fizz-o-meter of Coke: 8
Man-up possibilities: 10
Service: 7.5 (one of the server's almost knocked Wingnut's head off with a tray of food)
Overall: 9
Big Red, I like it.
ReplyDeleteWell done.
I wish I could say that about my All American Smashburger. Although very tasty, I don’t like seeing pink on burgers. A few bites exposed a rosy color. I didn’t complain at the time, but thinking about it later it always gives me a nervous stomach eating any meat other than steak that isn’t cooked all the way through.
That said, I still loved everything else about my 1/2 pound burger! Everything from the pickles, onions, a generous thick slice of cheddar chess melted to perfection topped off my burger.
I chose their Smash Fries, lightly seasoned with rosemary, garlic, olive oil which stayed nice and toasty-warm all the way to the bottom.
The hip and trendy Sugarhouse location seems perfect, but I think another location on Main Street would be perfect.
One added plus for me was the restaurant’s attempt to be a little more green. Serving up their food, without the use of plastic trays, metal baskets lined with paper instead of excess cardboard for their fries is a nice touch. The trays are half the size of normal trays and they fit nicely around a table with five guys.
The final word:
Service: 8
Quality: 9 (I’ll forgive a little pink)
Man-up possibilities: 9
Overall: 9
Sometimes when I eat a sandwich it is good and I like it a lot this was what happened today at the place we went I drove there in the car I think but don't remember where exactly but the street was busy and my burger was good so who can complain when the conversation is so funny but I don't remember anyone laughing which is odd because we usually laugh a lot at funny things which make us laugh but not today which was sunny and no rain even though my throat hurts a little bit which is understandable since I have a cold even though it is warm outside and warm inside with the medicine that I took before we went to lunch at smashburger which was really good and one of my favorite places to eat because the food tastes very good and is very large but costs a lot of money even though the decor is kind of funky psycho-like but all in all I had a wonderful time and I will now go take a nap.
ReplyDeleteACTUAL photo (the bottom one) from brady's perspective. just read his comments. duh.
ReplyDeleteOK, now that I've come down from my Dayquil high, I can properly assess Smashburger. Friday's jaunt was my second visit to the new-to-Utah burger joint and while my cold interfered with my enjoyment of the meal, it was still extra tasty.
ReplyDeleteI manned-up big time with a half-pound burger and added bacon and the haystack onion rings, plus an order of Smashfries. This is my new favorite burger joint in the Salt Lake area, but it's pricey. My meal came to $12 and change, without a tip. Smashburger is one of those uncomfortable places where you straddle the do-I-tip? line. I opted not to, but then again, I'm a heartless jerk, so what did you expect.
I agree that the Smashfries are a little greasy, though I actually think that's because they are doused in oil before being served. Still, I liked them. I love the presentation of the burgers, as they come out open faced, so you can see if they got your order right, which is important to me since I'm a picky burger eater (they forgot my haystack onions and I had to send it back).
Man-up possibilities: 9
Food quality: 9
Service: 8
Overall: 9
Nice work, BR.
ReplyDeleteI too was making my second trek to Smash. And frankly, while I still thoroughly enjoyed this trip, the first one was better.
Maybe it was that I went with the 1/3 pounder the first trip and stepped up to the 1/2 pounder this go around. I enjoy showing that my almost 150 pound frame can handle the real deal, but I honestly prefer to leave satisfied as opposed to stuffed.
I created my own and went with the multi-grain bun and pepper jack cheese. The PJ gives the burger a nice little extra kick and you can't go wrong with the grilled onions. Reminds me of the burgers I used to enjoy in between American Legion baseball double headers. Good stuff.
I second and third the sentiments of the SmashFries. Though greasy, they are tasty and dipping them in loads of ketchup only enhances the experience.
My one complaint had to do with my payment experience. I too opted to not tip pre-delivery of my meal. The almost-too-friendly cashier said, "no tip?" and I just looked at him with that "did you just say what I thought you said" look. He said, "ha ha, I'm just kidding," but it definitely left me a bit perturbed. The service is good and maybe they deserved an extra buck, but I'm just not big on waiting in line, making your order and then without having even eaten yet, be expected to give them MORE money.
The water was definitely watery and chased my food quite delightfully.
Man-up possibilities: 10 (at least for me)
Food quality: 8.5
Service: 7.5 ("no tip?"— really bugged)
Overall: 8.5